Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Displaced migrants following xenophobic violence in South Africa’s Western Cape province left the region by bus on June 4. The foreign nationals had been forced out of their homes after attacks that occurred less than a week earlier in the Southern Cape area. One group, housed in the Kleinmond area, was transported by authorities, while another group, accommodated in a centre in Stanford, was also awaiting transfer as part of return procedures.
According to the border management authority, nearly 600 Mozambicans fled Mossel Bay and returned home in the days following the violence. Nearly a week after the incidents, around 100 foreign nationals from Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe were still crammed into a community hall in Mossel Bay with their belongings, under police guard. They were joined by several South Africans from Limpopo province, who said they feared they could also be targeted because they are not Xhosa.
On site, local authorities carried out registration and processing operations, including fingerprinting and administrative checks. Families, including women and children, were among those seen in the displacement centres.
Anti-migrant sentiment has gained political currency in recent years with some believing foreigners are taking jobs and unfairly benefiting from public services. President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned attacks on foreigners and reminded his country of their debt to other nations on the continent in supporting their struggle against the racist system of apartheid.
